Ert laird



(No Model.)

J.HOULEHA.N.

MAGNETIC ORE SEPARATOR.

No. 538,417. Pa,tent ed Apr. 30, 1895.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ TREE! STATES PATENT OFFrcE.

JAMES HOULEHAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR'OF A PART TO ROB- ERT LAIRD, OF SAME PLACE, COLIN JOHN BASIL MAGIVER AND WILLIAM HENRY LAIRD, OF TORONTO, AND JAMES R. BARCLAY, OF MONTREAL,

CANADA.

MAGNETIC oRs-sEPARAToR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 538,417, dated April 30, 1895.

Application filed June 6, 1894. Serial No. 513,687. (No model.)

To all whom it may c-oncern Beit known that I, JAMES HOULEHAN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Magnetic Ore-Separators, of which the following is a specification.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a magnetic separator, which shall operate to separate, by magnetism, from the ore the precious metals (gold and silver) as well as the magnetic metals.

To this end my invention consists, in its broadest sense, in providing a suitable rotary magnet (either permanent or electro) and an armature opposed to the magnet and forming therewith an interposed ore-passage, through which the pulverized ore is fed, and in which it is subjected to the lines of magnetic force in the field between the magnet and its armature. By this construction the magnetic metals contained in the ore will be attracted by the magnet as in any magnetic separator, while the presence of the armature produces an induced magnetic current in the 'interposed non-magnetic metals, and, according to the law of induced currents, it is of contrary polarity at the points respectively presented to the magnet and keeper.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in side elevation of my improved magnetic ore-separating apparatus, and Fig. 2 is a view of the same in vertical sectional elevation. l

A is a rotary-magnet, which may involve any suitable construction, and may be of the electro-magnet or permanent magnet variety. As represented, it is the latter (though the former is preferred) and involves, as its construction, a properly journaled rotary shaft 'r, surrounded by a non-magnetic (as brass) cylinder q, having formed at suitable intervals lengthwise in its perimeter dove-tail grooves into which are introduced, endwise, and confined at their dove-tail shaped tongues 19, magnetized steel bars 0 of the radially-inward tapering form in cross-section, or se mental form, illustrated. At their outer surfaces, or poles, the magnet-bars tare successively of contrary polarity. I g For my purpose, I prefer to provide two cooperating rotary magnets and show, in the drawings, besides the one already described, another, A, of the same construction; and the corresponding parts in the latter are denoted on counter-shafts r and r carrying rotary brushes B and B, respectively, in position to operate against the surfaces of the two magnets A and A.

C is an iron shield forming an armature for the magnet A; and C is a similarshield forming an armature for the magnet A, the two armatures being represented as formed of a continuous sheet of metal bent to conform to the contours of the parts of the two circular magnets to which they are opposed, and being supported from the bend on, between the two magnets, by an adjustable support D. As shown the support D comprises a pair of horizontal guides m (one member, only, of which pair is shown in Fig. 2, owing to the nature of the view selected for the illustration) fastened to a casing E which envelops the mechanism of the apparatus. Between the guides is a sliding cross-head m, carrying a rigid stem m terminating in a head m fastened to the armatures C and 0 near the bend x, and a set-screw Z supported in abearing Z on the casing and passing through the latter into engagement with the adjacent end of the stem at serves to draw itback and forth and thus effect adjustment of the proximity of the two armatures with relation to the magnets. The shield forming the two armatures C and C is further supported by fastening it at its base, as at o, to the wall of the casing. From the, bend w a branch C of the sheet-metal shield is continued, and extends to form, with a 5 a receptacle F. Adjacent to the bend m beof in the manner already described. The tween the two armatures C and C, the armabrushes B and B, into somewhat close proxture-extension C has a discharge-opening '1; imity with which the armatures are extended, through it, by which the pulverized material as shown wipe the material held by the which passes the first magnet escapes from magnets from their surfaces, whence it falls the passage h between the magnet A and its through the chutes F and F into the receptaarmature to the passage 72' between the magcle F.

net A and its armature, from which last- WhatI claim as new, and desire to secure named passage the tailings discharge through by Letters Patent, is

an opening 71 in the armature G into a con- 1. In a magnetic ore-separator, the combiduit H covering a water-holder I and connation of a movable magnet and an armature 5o nected with an air-blower (not shown) whereforming an interposed ore-passage, substanby the fine material is diffused by the currents tially as and for the purpose set forth.

of air over the surface of the water-holder, 2. In a magnetic ore-separator, the combisupplied with water at g, the very fine partination of a movable cylindrical magnet and cles floating on the surface of the water, and an armature supported with relation to and escaping at the overflow g, from which they conforming more or less to the peripheral surare saved, and the coarser particles sinking face of the magnet and forming therewith an in the holder H whence they may, from time interposed ore-passage, substantially as and to time, be removed for treatment to save any for the purpose set forth.

precious metal they may contain. The arma- 3. A magnetic ore-separator comprising, in ture C also has an extension 0 forming, with combination, rotary magnets A, A, provided the extension C of the armature C, a chute with armatures O, G forming with the mag- F leading to the receptacle F. nets the ore'passages h, h, communicating be- My improved apparatus is operated as foltween the magnets,the armatures having exlows: The several shafts being setin motion, tensions C 0 forming chutes, rotary brushes finely pulverized ore 0 (wet or dry) from a B and B for the magnets, a water-holder I hopperP is fed to the passage h through which communicating with the discharge-end of the it passes under the magnetic influence of the passage h, an air-blast conduit H, leading magnet A, which attracts the magnetic parpast the discharge from the said passage h ticles of the ore, and, by the effect of the opand over the surface of the said water-holder, 7o

posed armature, C, also particles of gold and silver that may be contained in the ore. The material 0 that does not adhere to the magnet A discharges through the opening 1' into the passage h, where it undergoes a secondary treatment similar to that in the passage h, the tailingsiO' escaping through the opening '11 to the flue H, whence they are disposed and an inclosing case for the mechanism, the whole being constructed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES HOULEIIAN. In presence of M. J. FROST, W. Y. WILLIAMs. 

